Mioduszewski, Hall seeking Republican nomination for Isabella County Sheriff’s Office

Leo Mioduszewski will try to remain the sheriff of Isabella County, but other candidates like Robert Hall are making a push to be the new sheriff in town.

Mioduszewski and Hall, both on the Republican ballot, will try to get voters August 7 to elect them to the top-ranking position in the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department.

Mioduszewski said he should be re-elected, because he understands the administrative duties and grant-writing the sheriff is tasked for, as well as the experience.

“You could be the greatest police officer in the world, arresting people and putting together cases left and right, but the sheriff doesn’t do those things,” Mioduszewski said. “The sheriff of Isabella County deals with a $4.5 million budget, hires and terminates people, human resources and lots federal grant writing.”

If re-elected, one of Mioduszewski’s top priorities is to continue work on the victim services unit. He said the goal of the unit is not only to inform those close to victims about their loss, but to help them cope too.

With the money available, he would also like to improve on other community policing programs like the neighborhood watch group.

“If it’s anything that costs money, we’re not going to be able to do it. Therefore, my No. 1 goal is to provide the same level of service that we have been able to provide,” Mioduszewski said. “I’d like to be able to do a lot of other things, but, unfortunately, this year we’re going to have to tighten our belts. It’s going to be a tough fiscal year.”

Mioduszewski comes from an experienced law-enforcement background within Isabella County. He went back to Central Michigan University to work for CMU Police and work on his Master’s degree in Public Administration before joining the Isabella County Sheriff’s Department.

Between that and his eight-year experience as the Isabella County Sheriff, he doesn’t see anything standing in his way of being re-elected.

“What people should focus on is who’s better prepared to run the department administratively?” Mioduszewski said. “From talking to the citizens, I think people are very happy with the change in the sheriff’s department for the past eight years.”

Hall

Robert Hall’s strategy for this campaign includes taking advantage of the parades, going door-to-door and creating his campaign website, hallforisabellasheriff.com. He describes himself as “an under the radar” police officer who wants to see some change.

“It’s always difficult going up against this incumbent, but the feeling that I’m getting is people are ready for change,” Hall said.

Hall said some things he would do differently from Mioduszewski include adjusting the shifts for the officers and making improvements to the Isabella County Jail so it can make more money through the inmates.

He also plans on cutting fiscal waste and being more careful about mismanaging resources, such as organizations paying for extra sheriff patrols when they have already been paid for in taxes.

“The people that are taken in are mostly misdemeanor violators. They’re not taking in hardcore inmates,” Hall said. “Commonsense tells me if they’re building a facility in Wayne County that should replace three other jails, they’re probably going to have enough room to cover what Livonia and Westland ships here.”

Hall said one important part about being a sheriff is to have a strong undersheriff to help out in areas the sheriff might not have much experience with. Hall’s undersheriff would be Saginaw County Sheriff Department Sergeant Troy Jolin.

Hall also said he would make himself available and easy to contact to the public and media if there is anything that requires a press release to be sent out.

“The news is such a great source,” Hall said. “I think if there’s something going on, the community needs to know that.”

With all the administrative duties a sheriff is required to do, Hall said he will always try to be an officer first.

“You might be an administrator, but you’re still a police officer, and you still need to be able to do that job,” he said.

Theodore Joseph Visner is the only candidate on the Democratic ballot.